Block stacking machine



Dec. 19, 1961 J. E. KOVACH 3,013,648 BLOCK STACKING MACHINE Filed June 15, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet l 92 s 75 all 8.9 f6

84 76 86 7 INVENTOR. 89 BY M ATTORNE Y5 Dec. 19, 1961 J. E. KOVACH BLOCK STACKING MACHINE ATTORNEYS Filed June 1 3, 1958 Dec. 19, 1961 J. E. KOVACH BLOCK smcxmc MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed June 13, 1958 INYENTOR.

A7 TORNE vs Unite rates Patented Dec. 19, 1961 Filed June 13, 1958, Ser. No. 741,895 11 Claims. (til. 198-35) This invention relates to apparatus for stacking cinder blocks or similar manufactured building units. In order to save labor in the loading of blocks, it is conventional practice to stack the blocks in such a way that they can be picked up by a lift truck and placed on the delivery truck by which they are to be transported to a purchaser.

Although the blocks can be stacked on pallets, it is more economical to orient the blocks of the lower layer of the stack so that the conventional openings through the blocks are in alignment and the prongs of a lift truck are inserted through these openings. The bottom layer of the stack thus serves as the pallet.

It is an object of this invention to provide mechanical apparatus for stacking blocks and to reduce any hand labor to a minimum. Features of the invention relate to apparatus for stacking locks from the pallets on which the blocks come from racks which hold a number of pallets during the curing operation. Another feature of the invention relates to the delivery of the blocks to a support on which each successive layer is assembled prior to the conveying of the layer to a stacking station.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple and effective apparatus for turning all of the blocks of one layer into position with their openings horizontal and in alignment for making the bottom layer of a stack. The invention also includes provision for shifting each successive layer of block by a half-block length or other distance for interlocking successive layers to make a stack which holds together effectively during transport.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the description proceeds.

In the drawing, forming a part hereof, in which like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in all the views;

FIGURE lis a diagrammatic top plan view showing the stacking apparatus of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic end view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged, diagrammatic view showing the frame for turning the blocks during their transfer from one end to the other of the carriage shown in FIG- URES 1 and 3;

FIGURES 5 and 6 are top plan views of a stack of blocks illustrating the way in which blocks at the staggered ends of successive layers are turned into position to lock the blocks stacked together; and

FIGURE 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the transfer of a new layer of blocks to a stack.

The block stacking apparatus of this invention includes a first or initial conveyor 10 having rollers 11 supported by frame elements 12 which slope downwardly from a receiving end 14 of the conveyor to a delivery end 16. This initial conveyor 10 is, therefore, a gravity conveyor along which the blocks 13 travel after being initially loaded on the conveyor from pallets on a lift truck, or in any other suitable way.

At the delivery end of the initial conveyor 18 there is a carriage 20 supported by wheels or rollers 22 movable along a guide way or track 24,. There are two supports on the carriage 20. The first support is a conveyor comprising a plurality of rollers 26 having their axes of rotation generally parallel to the direction in which blocks travel down the initial conveyor 10. The other support on the carriage is a supporting area 2 8 which may also be a conveyor similar to the first support, but is here shown as a smooth table preferably of steel and over which blocks can slide with comparatively little friction.

Between the supports 25 and 23 there is a frame 34) for turning the blocks 13 through an augleof as blocks are moved from the support 25 to the support 28.

In the operation of the apparatus, the carriage 2t: occu pics the position shown in FIGURE 1 when blocks are being delivered from the initial conveyor 10 to the carriage 20 for all layers of the stack except the bottom layer. When delivering blocks from the initial conveyor 10 for use on the bottom layer of a stack, the carriage 20 is moved along the track 24 into a position which locates the support 25 at the delivery end 16 of the conveyor 19.

Blocks which are to be used for the bottom layer of the stack are then delivered from the initial conveyor 10 to the support 25, and in the constructions shown the support 25 is large enough to hold all of the blocks for the bottom layer at the same time.

As the blocks on the support 25 are moved toward the support 28, they slide into the frame 30 which rotates them through 90 so that when they are moved from the frame 30 on to the support 28, the core openings through the blocks lie parallel to the support 28 instead of being at right angles to the support as they are when originally delivered by the initial conveyor. The construction and operation of the frame 30 will be described in connection with subsequent figures, and for the present it is suflicient to understand that this frame 30 operates to turn the blocks over on their sides as they are transferred from the support 25 to the support 28.

The apparatus is made much more effective by having the rotating frame 30 wide enough to receive a row of blocks 13 which is as long as the ultimate stack; and the rotating frame 30 is made wide enough to turn a whole row of blocks simultaneously.

Although the blocks move down the initial conveyor 10 by gravity, they will not move out over the support 25 or the support 28 of the carriage 20 unlessthey are puhed from the conveyor 10 by force suflicient to overcome whatever friction is encountered in sliding the blocks on to these supports 25 and 28. struction of the apparatus the blocks are advanced from the initial conveyor 10' by pusher bars 36 which extend across the entire width of the initial conveyor it}. These pusher bars 36 are connected at their opposite ends to sprocket chains 38 that run around end sprockets 40 having axles rotatable in bearings attached to the frame elements 12.

The sprockets 40 are rotated by electric motors and in directions to cause the upper run of each sprocket chain 38 to travel in a direction toward the receiving end of the initial conveyor 10; but these top runs of the sprocket chains 38 are at an elevation above the level of the rollers 11 greater thanthe height of the blocks so that the pusher bars 36 traveling away from the delivery end 16 of the initial conveyor 10 travel above the tops of the blocks on thi conveyor.

The lower runs of the sprocket chains 38 are above the level of the rollers 11 but at a low enough elevation to strike against the rearward end of blocks 18 on the conveyor 10; and the chains 38 are long enough so that the pusher bars 36 come down into a block-engaging level at sufficient distance back from the delivery end 16 of the conveyor to advance a whole row of blocks simultaneously. In the construction illustrated, the conveyor 10 has a center division plate 41 and on each side of this plate the conveyor 10is wide enough for three parallel rows of blocks which can be advanced simultaneously from the conveyor 10 to one or the'other of the supports 25 and In the preferred con- 28, depending upon which of these supports is located at the delivery end of the conveyor 10. This plate 41 is not essential.

Toward one end of the track 24 and beyond the discharge end of the initial conveyor 10, there is a stacking station including a platform 46. This platform 46 is somewhat wider and somewhat longer than the stack of blocks which is formed on it; and it is located between the rails of the track 24 and in such position that the block support 28 of the carriage 20 can move into a position directly over the platform 46. After a layer of blocks has been assembled on the support 28, the carriage 20 is moved into such a position that the blocks on the carriage are located directly over the platform 46 and immediately over any layer of blocks 18 which have been already deposited on the platform 46.

After the carriage 20 has been moved into such a position, an abutment bar 48 (FIGURE 7) is placed behind the layer of blocks, for preventing the blocks from returning as the carriage 20 is moved back to its original position, in which it is shown in FIGURE 1. As the carriage moves back, the support 28 is pulled out from under the layer of blocks 18 and the blocks drop down onto the stack of blocks already on the platform 46.

In order to make this block transfer practical, it is necessary that the support 28 be of limited vertical extent and that the platform 46 be vertically movable so that either the platform, or the top of any blocks already on the platform, can be located at only a slightly lower level than the top surface of the support 28.

The construction of the platform and its operation for changing its vertical level to accommodate increase in the height of the stack will be explained in connection with subsequent figures.

After a stack of blocks have been assembled on the platform 46, the stack is transferred to a delivery table 56, which is preferably a roller conveyor. The delivery table 56 can be made as long as necessary to accommodate as many successive stacks of blocks as it may be necessary to provide for, and this depends upon the kind of facilities used for taking stacks from the delivery table 56.

The blocks supporting area of the platform 46 is a conveyor capable of shifting a completed stack to the delivery table 56; and the apparatus is arranged so that when the platform 46 has the highest stack for which the apparatus is intended, the platform can be brought level with the delivery table 56 and the platform conveyor operated to effect a transfer of the stack to the delivery table.

The platform conveyor serves another important function, however, in the stacking of the blocks This platform conveyor is made reversible and after one layer of blocks has been deposited on the platform 46, the conveyor is moved, one way or the other, to shift the layer for a distance of approximately one-half block length. When the next layer of blocks is deposited on the already existing layer on the platform 46, the blocks at one end of the new layer will project one half block length beyond one end of the top layer already on the platform 46.

FIGURE 2 shows this operation, the top layer on the carriage 29 being so positioned that the end blocks at the left-hand end of the stack project beyond the underlying stack on the platform 46 by a length of one half block. At the right-hand end of the stack one half of each block of the underlying layer remains uncovered by the new layer of blocks.

FIGURE shows this situation in plan view. The top layer of the blocks is stippled in FIGURE 5 to distinguish them from the underlying layer of blocks, and the dotted line near the left-hand end of the stack represents the end of the underlying stack of blocks already on the platform.

An attendant at the stacking station removes an over- 4 hanging end block 61 from the stack in FIGURE 5 and turns this block 61 to a transverse position and deposits it on top of the uncovered portions of two blocks of the underlying layer at the right-hand end of the stack, as shown in FIGURE 6.

The next overhanging block 62 in FIGURE 5 is turned into a transverse position at the left-hand end of the stack, as is also shown in FIGURE 6, and this makes the side of the block 62 flush with the end of the underlying layers of blocks in the stack. In similar manner, a third block 63 is turned transversely and placed at the right-hand end of the stack; and a fourth block 64 is turned into a transverse position at the left-hand end of the stack.

In similar manner other overhanging end blocks 65 and 66 are turned into the transverse positions shown in FIGURE 6. This operation locks together adjacent rows of blocks in the stack so that the stack will hold together better during transport. In the top layer of the stack center blocks may be lifted out and turned transversely to still further lock the stack together, if this additional locking is desired.

The construction of the platform 46 and its operation to adjust its level to compensate for increases in the stack height are best shown in FIGURE 2. The conveyor for the platform 46 includes two axles 75 rotatable in bearings on opposite sides of a platform frame 78. There are sprockets 89 secured to these axles 75 near the opposite ends of each of the axles; and there are endless chains 82 extending around the sprockets on both sides of the platform 46. Bars 84 are connected at their opposite ends to the chains 82 and these bars 84 provide the supporting surfaces on which the blocks rest. A supporting table 36, located immediately below the chains 86 or under the bars 84, prevents the top run of the platform conveyor from sagging under the Weight of the stack of blocks. The sprocket axles 75 are rotated by automatic motor means or under remote ovenside control of the operator of the apparatus.

There are rollers 87 (FIGURE 1) on the ends of axles 88 in position to run along guides consisting of frame columns 89 for preventing transverse displacement of the platform 46 as it moves up and down. These rollers 87 are preferably idlers on the axles 88, and they are merely representative of guide means for confining the platform 46 to vertical motion.

The apparatus for raising and lowering the platform 46 consists of two sprockets 91 and 92 at each corner of the platform 46 and rotatable about parallel axles connected to the platform '46. Sprocket chains 94 (FIGURE 2) extend downwardly along the columns 89 of the main frame of the block-stacking apparatus. At the left side of the carriage 46 the sprocket chains 94 extend around the lower parts of the sprockets 92 and then around the upper parts of the sprockets 91. At the right side of the carriage the chain run is just the opposite. The sprockets 92 at the left side of the apparatus are secured to the axle 88 and there is a sprocket 97 (FIGURE 1) also on the axle 88. The sprockets 92 at the right side of the apparatus are secured to a shaft 93 on which there is also a driving sprocket 97. Chains 98 drive the sprockets 97 and through these sprockets 97 drive the left axle 88 and the right axle 93. The chains 98 are driven from a common shaft 99 which is rotated by an electric motor (not shown) carried by the platform 46.

Rotation of the sprockets 91 in a clockwise direction in FIGURE 2 causes the sprocket to pull the chain 94 around the sprocket 92 with the effect that the sprockets crawl up the chain 94 and raise the platform 46.

FIGURES 3 and 4 show the frame 30 by which the blocks are turned through an angle of during their transfer from the support 25 on the carriage 20 to the other support 28 on the carriage. These figures should be considered with the top plan view of the frame 30 shown in FIGURE 1.

The frame 30 includes an axle 101 rotatable in bearings 102 connected to side frames 104 of the carriage 20. These side frames also support the conveyor rollers 26 of the carriage 20. At axially spaced locations along the axle 181, there are spiders 106 connected to the axle 101 and provided with four arms on each spider, all of the arms being in the same phase relation to the axle 101. There are rollers 119 extending between corresponding arms of each of the spiders 106.

FIGURE 4 shows a block 18 which has been pushed from the support 25 over the roller 110 which is closest to the support 25. The radial distance from each roller 110 to the axis of the axle 101 is less than the width and height of the block 13. As the block 18 is pushed from the support 25 to the frame 12, the block moves across the roller 110 which is at the same level as the rollers of the support 25; and further movement of the block 18 is stopped when the upper portion of the blocks strikes against the roller 110 which is at the uppermost position in FIGURE 4.

Rotation of the frame 25 in a clockwise direction turns the block 18 into the dotted line position shown. When in this position, one side of the block 18 rests upon a roller 118 which is part of the carriage support 28. As the frame 39 rotates further in a clockwise direction, the

block 18 (shown in dotted lines) is prevented from rotating any further with the frame by the roller 118, and the uppermost roller 110 brushes against the left-hand surface of the block 18 and pushes the block across the roller 110 and onto the flat surface of the support 28.

Further rotation of the frame 112 brings another block into the dotted line position shown in FIGURE 4; and as this block approaches the level of the roller 110, it contacts with the block ahead of it and pushes that block forward along the smooth level surface of the support 28.

The operation continues with successive rows of blocks 18 pushed into the frame 30, as shown in full .lines in FIGURE 4, and rotated into the dotted line position with resulting displacement of the blocks ahead further and further along the surface of the support 28. This is continued until all blocks on the support 25 have been transferred to the support 28. I

The rows of blocks 18 can be advanced to the block turning frame 30 in various ways; but in the construction illustrated in FIGURE 3 an abutment bar 125 is placed behind the layer of blocks 18, and the ends of this bar are connected to a fixed part of the frame by brackets 127, best shown in FIGURE 1. This abutment bar 125, shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 1, is at the wrong end of the support 25 for holding the blocks in position as shown in FIGURE 3; but it must be remembered that when the carriage 20 is in position to receive blocks on the support 25, the carriage will be advanced from the position shown in FIGURE 1 until the support 25 is in the position at the end of the initial conveyor occupied by the support 28 in FIGURE 1.

Referring again to FIGURE 3, the carriage 20 is moved toward the left with the blocks 18 held against such movement by the abutment bar 125. This produces a relative movement of the blocks and carriage which, in effect, advances the blocks 18 to the block turning frame 30.

FIGURE 7 shows the way in which the abutment bar 48, previously described, holds a layer of blocks 18 in position over the blocks on the platform 46 while the carriage 20 is moved toward the left and out from under the layer of blocks 18.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, but changes and modifications can be made and some features can be used in different combinations without departing from the invention as defined in the claims What is claimed is:

1. Block stacking apparatus including a block carriage having a first area to which blocks for a bottom layer of the stack are initially delivered, and a second area on which blocks for successive other layers of a stack are initially delivered, and means for supplying blocks from thefirst area to the second area including a frame supported by the carriage between the areas in position to receive successive rows of blocks as they are moved from the first area to the second area, the frame having supports on which it is angularly movable to rotate each row of blocks ninety degrees about a transverse axis as the row of blocks is shifted from the first area of the carriage to the second area and into position to be received by said supporting area.

2. The block stacking apparatus described in claim 1, and in which the block turning frame is rotatable and has four quadrants, successive ones of which move into position to receive blocks from the first area each time a preceding quadrant moves into position for its blocks to be shifted into the second area of the carriage.

3. The block stacking apparatus described in claim 1, and in which the block conveyor is wide enough to receive a full row of blocks and the block turning frame is long enough to receive the entire row of blocks simultaneously.

4. The block stacking apparatus described in claim 1, and in which the apparatus includes an initial conveyor and the block conveyor and the carriage have relative movement transversely of the direction of movement of the blocks along the initial conveyor to selectively locate the delivery end of the initial conveyor on one side or the other of the block-turning frame.

5. The block stacking apparatus described in claim 2, and in which the first area of the carriage is a conveyor and the block turning frame ha four supports extending radially from its axis of rotation and the supports provide four right angular block-holding sections, the axis of rotation of the block turning frame being substantially level with the conveyor and the conveyor being substantially level with the second area of the carriage, adjacent sections of the block holding sections being substantially level with the conveyor and second area when the frameis in position to receive blocks into or to deliver turned blocks from said adjacent block-holding sections.

6. The block stacking apparatus described in claim 5, and in which the block turning frame is as long as, the stack of blocks which the apparatus is intended to assemble.

7. Block stacking apparatus comprising a first support for receiving blocks that are to form the bottom layer of a stack, a second support for receiving blocks priorto their location on the stack, a frame between the supports shaped to receive a block moving from the end of the first support to the second support, the frame being movable to turn the block ninety degrees and into position to slide onto the second support, and means to selectively deliver blocks for the bottom layer of the stack to the first support and blocks for the upper layers directly to the second support.

8. The block stacking apparatus described in claim 7, and in which the means to selectively deliver the blocks in the diiferent supports is a conveyor, and the supports and the block turning frame are on a common carriage movable along a track transversely of the direction of the movement of the blocks along the conveyor to bring the different supports selectively to the delivery end of the I conveyor, and the apparatus includes also a platform at one end of the track, and the carriage is movable along the track beyond the conveyor and into a position that locates the second support over the platform, means for raising and lowering the platform with respect to the second support to locate the platform, or the top surface of a stack of blocks already on the platform, at a level only slightly lower than the second support, and abutmerit means that hold the blocks on the second support against moving back from their position over the platform, the carriage being movable back from under the blocks on the second support so that the blocks drop from the second support on to the platform or on top of a stack of blocks already on the platform.

9. The apparatus for stacking moulded blocks which are of substantially greater length than width, said apparatus including in combination a first conveyor on which the blocks are initially placed and oriented to travel in the direction of their length, the conveyor being wide enough to hold a full layer of blocks for the stack, and the conveyor being substantially longer than the stack, endless belts at both sides of the conveyor and extending from the discharge end of the conveyor to an intermediate location spaced from the discharge end by approximately the length of the stack, a pusher bar extending across the conveyor and attached at its opposite end to the endless belts, each of the endless belts having one run that travels in the direction of movement of the blocks and at a height that supports the pusher bar above the conveyor by a distance less than the height of the blocks, and each of the endless belts having a return run that supports the pusher bar at a level beyond the blocks but along the same portion of the conveyor length as the other run, a carriage at the discharge end of the first conveyor and to which a full layer of blocks are delivered from the first conveyor by one operation of the pusher bar, a platform vertically movable with respect to the carriage at a location across which the carriage is movable, means for displacing the full layer of blocks from the carriage to the platform in a direction transverse of the long dimensions of the blocks, hoist mechanism that raises and lowers the platform, the hoist mechanism being operable to lower the platform for a distance equal to the height of one layer of blocks each time a layer of blocks is displaced from the carriage to the platform so that successive groups of blocks displaced from the carriage are deposited on previously deposited layers of blocks on the platform, the platform and carriage having relative movement transversely of the direction of delivery of the layers of blocks to the platform for staggering successive layers on the stack, and in which the platform is itself a second conveyor oriented to deliver a stack of blocks in the direction of their long dimensions, and the apparatus includes means for operating the second conveyor intermittently either forward or rearward at any level of the second conveyor to stagger 8 the successive layers of blocks, and a delivery table to which the stacked blocks are transferred by forward operation of the second conveyor upon completion of each stack on said second conveyor.

10. Theapparatus for stacking moulded blocks as described in claim 9, and in which the delivery table includes a conveyor long enough to hold several stacks of blocks successively delivered thereto from the second conveyor.

11. Apparatus for stacking blocks which are of substantially greater length than width, said apparatus comprising a carriage, having a surface that supports a layer of blocks for the stack, a platform on which the blocks are stacked, means for producing a relative movement of the carriage and the platform to locate the block supporting surface of the carriage immediately above the platform, means for shifting the layer of blocks from the carriage to the platform in a direction transverse of the long dimensions of the blocks, and mechanism operable between successive discharge operations to change the relative positions of the carriage and the blocks on the platform transverse of the direction of delivery of the blocks to the platform whereby successive layers of blocks are staggered with respect to one another, and in which the platform includes a conveyor on which blocks of the stack are movable to obtain the relative movement of the blocks on the carriage and platform, and the stack is movable selectively in opposite directions from a mid position for a distance equal to at least one half the length of a block to extend the end blocks of a layer one-half length beyond the end blocks of a layer below whereby extending end blocks can be turned sidewise to lock the stack together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,716,080 Padilla June 4, 1929 2,228,887 Peterson Jan. 14, 1941 2,332,654 Mead et al. Oct. 26, 1943 2,538,408 Baker et al. Jan. 16, 1951 2,701,650 Stevenson Feb. 8, 1955 2,828,871 Bardsley et al. Apr. 1, 1958 2,869,737 Thomas Jan. 20, 1959 2,883,074 Boehl et al. Apr. 21, 1959 

